Multiple dead pigeons found hanging from rafters at MBTA station

BOSTON — MBTA riders and animal welfare groups are concerned after finding multiple dead and dying pigeons trapped in the rafters above the outdoor JFK/UMass train platform.

A T rider who discovered a pigeon hanging upside-down, clinging to life while stuck between the metal rods in the ceiling, shared a video on social media.

Amanda Cowfer Chavez of Safe Hands Wildlife Rescue Network told Boston 25 News that people within the organization contacted the MBTA to retrieve what she estimated was a 2.5-week-old distressed bird, but had no luck.

Boston 25 News found the young pigeon dead Sunday among several other visible carcasses, similarly trapped in the ceiling.

“There are just tons of birds in various states of decomposition,” Cowfer Chavez said. “That’s insane that not only has this happened once, but it’s happened repeatedly, and the bodies are being left there to rot.”

Boston 25 News observed pigeons roosting in a nearby opening in the roof.

Cowfer Chavez believes adult birds are flying into such points of access and making their nests. The newly hatched babies then fall out of the nests and, because of their small size, slip between the gaps in the metal joists, becoming stuck well before they have learned to fly, she said.

“Just imagine hanging upside down and dying slowly over the course of 24 hours, either from the blood or slowly starving,” Cowfer Chavez said. “And your parents are above you, wanting to feed you, wanting to help you.”

But Cowfer Chavez is also concerned about the potential health risks for T riders who are walking below the suspended carcasses.

“[When] any animal dies and you start getting that decomposition, you get a lot of dangerous bacterium, dangerous things that can harm humans,” Cowfer Chavez said. “And if that’s above riders’ heads who are maybe eating breakfast on their way to work or drinking a cup of coffee, and there’s these particles raining down, I can imagine that that’s quite the health hazard.”

Cowfer Chavez hopes the MBTA will not only remove the carcasses but also seal up open points of access.

“This would prevent this from ever happening again, and also discourage [pigeons] from nesting in this place where it seems good but in reality a lot of them are going to die,” Cowfer Chavez said.

An MBTA spokesperson told Boston 25 News a maintenance crew would be dispatched to the issue, but did not specify a timeline.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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